Tauranga bus services will remain fare free for passengers over the next month at alert level 1.

A Bay of Plenty Regional Council spokesperson told SunLive all Baybus services will be free until the introduction of the new Regional Integrated Ticketing System at the end of July.

Bee Card is the new electronic card that will be used for Bay of Plenty bus services, allowing passengers to tag on and off.

It is set to roll out in Tauranga on July 27. The spokesperson says there will be no change in price for bus fares.

Normal Baybus timetables resumed under alert level 2, with restrictions in place around capacity and physical distancing.

But the move to level 1 means there will be no need for physical distancing and services can carry full capacity.

The spokesperson says hand sanitiser will still be available on all services

Bee Card is already used in several New Zealand regions including Northland, Waikato, Taranaki and Hawkes Bay.

Source: SunLive.co.nz